Leica plastic finders, how sturdy?

[sanmich]

These plastic Leica viewfinders for 21/24/28mm are around for about four decades now.

What is your experience with them?
Do they tend to break?
There is what appears like very fine parts in the locking mechanism.
Do they stand the test of time?
When something breaks or wears down, are they reparable?

Thanks!

 

[a.noctilux]

Michael,
I have (but use less) one 21/24/28 Leica VF 12014.
Nothing to complain really, it's very nicely built.
I think that to break the shoe, with it's thick metallic, the shock would be very very strong.
Even the thumb screw lock is made of metallic strong.

When it breaks, however I think it's not repairable to give same standard at reasonable cost.

I use less 12014 because I've found the wider/larger Voigtlander 15-35 Zoomfinder

Sorry, edit:
you mean the plastic VF in 21 or 24 or 28 maybe.
those are very fragile plastic shoe and locking VF.
I have two broken: one 21mm and one 28mm that I managed to glue under it one shoe from a Metz flash

 

[Rayt]

I only had one Leica finder - a plastic 21mm. It broke off at the foot but I don’t know what happened. One day I took my M6 out of my camera bag and found the foot in the hot shoe and the finder somewhere in the bag.

 

[xayraa33]

Any Viewfinder with a plastic foot can and do break to various degrees.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

My old 21mm plastic Leica VF had a crack in the foot which was repaired with superglue when I bought it. It later completely broke off in the bag and I repaired it with superglue again. I gave it to whomever bought the 21mm lens I was selling at that time; I think the ZM 21mm 2.8 Biogon.
Meanwhile, I've owned a bunch of plastic CV viewfinders, 21mm and 15mm, and none of them has ever broken. The only issue is they have a good amount of barrel distortion.

Phil Forrest

 

[Hilmersen]

I really dislike my leica 28mm finder. I find absolutely no joy in using it - and any belive that any toy camera has a superior finder....

 

[Archlich]

A friend's CV 6x6 angle finder's foot broke off last year. It's a hefty chunk of metal. Good news is it's mendable with epoxy.

So any finder can break under certain circumstances. Just don't worry.

 

[wjlapier]

I have one plastic Leica finder. The 36mm finder for the X1/2 camera. I've had it for about a year--maybe longer. So far it's done well. Nice clear sharp glass.